


Catastrophizing

by AshGunnywolf



Category: Dredd (2012), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Anxiety, Crying, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Really Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 09:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20445206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshGunnywolf/pseuds/AshGunnywolf
Summary: When Techie gets a notification on his datapad, he assumes the worst.





	Catastrophizing

**Author's Note:**

> This is something short I wrote to address a line in the Hux comic. Spoilers below!!!

Techie was editing software when he got the notification on his datapad.  
"The failure of General Hux's and Kylo Ren's spacecraft has been attributed to Admiral Brooks and a radar technician. Both have been referred to sanitation. Investigations have ceased, and business shall return to normal."  
Techie was vaguely familiar with Brooks, he had fixed the admiral's datapad before. He was the sort of man who casually took up more space than necessary, spreading his arms across the back of a sofa, propping up his legs on tables, as if asserting his dominance over space without even thinking. Techie knew that Armitage hated Brooks, but he would never say why. All in all, Brooks was no loss to him.  
But the radar technician. That was Matt's job. He hadn't heard from Matt since his goodnight text last night, and that was over fourteen hours ago. Matt was so eager to impress high-ranking officers in the hopes of getting closer to Kylo Ren. Of course, Matt would never knowingly do anything to hurt Kylo Ren, but Brooks could have left out who the sabotage was intended for. Could he have been persuaded to aid Brooks in the attempt on Kylo Ren's and Armitage's lives?  
No, of course not. That was silly. Catastrophizing as usual. Matt was smart, he wouldn't do something stupid like sabotage spacecraft just to get into Brooks' good graces. He would have reported Brooks' insurrection to Armitage if Brooks had told him to break a part of the ship, that was that. No more worrying about this. It wasn't Matt. Matt was fine.  
And yet. The thought would not leave him alone. Everyone knew what "referral to sanitation" meant. Datapads didn't get notifications about officers, troopers, and workers being sent to get clean, sanitation was a euphemism for punishment, and it wasn't merely disciplinary action or even reconditioning. If someone needed to be referred to sanitation, they were themselves a stain on the Order and needed to be removed. Referral to sanitation was execution.  
The thought of Matt facing the cold empty mask of an executioner was tearing Techie apart. Would he scream? Cry? Beg for his life? Ask to see his boyfriend one last time?  
He frantically sent Matt a message, "What are you doing today?"  
Several minutes went by with no reply. He sent another message, "Are you okay?"  
Still nothing. "Are you there?"  
He could barely concentrate on his work, he was staring so intently at his datapad. Matt was usually very punctual in his replies to texts. What was taking him so long? Was he even there?  
Techie's vision blurred with tears. He started to sob. His robotic eyes burned, but his hands were shaking too hard to apply bacta drops.  
He got up from his chair and told his supervisor, "I need to use the refresher," before running to find Matt.  
Everywhere he looked in the halls, he saw orange vests, but not the right person in an orange vest. He saw Madi, and Pars, and Esido, but Matt was nowhere to be found. He asked everyone he knew if they'd seen Matt, but they all shook their heads no.  
His search was only made more complicated by the horrible blurring of his vision. He had to squeeze his eyes shut because keeping them open was making them burn too hard. He stood in the middle of a busy hallway, eyes screwed shut and shaking like a leaf.

"Techie!"  
Wait… was that…?  
"Techie! Are you alright?" Matt called out, running to his boyfriend and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Let's get out of this hallway, go somewhere quiet."  
He guided Techie into a storage room for droid parts. Techie clung to his vest and sobbed.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Oh, it was awful," he stuttered, "I saw the report about a radar technician who got killed for sabotaging Armitage's ship, and you weren't answering your messages, I was so worried!"  
Matt petted his hair. "I'm sorry, baby, I was elbow-deep in a calcinator, and my supervisor was watching me."  
Techie sniffled. "Promise me you won't ever do anything to get yourself into trouble. I've lost so much, I don't want to lose you too."  
Matt kissed Techie's forehead. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Twitter @goth_gunnywolf


End file.
